Down
by Pen Sil
Summary: Songfic. Oneshot. NejiTen. They had known each other all their lives, but now... life has decided to seperate them. But only for so long


I do not own ANYTHING - dammit

* * *

**Down**

* * *

_Let's get drunk_

_You can drive us to the harbor_

"Come on, Neji!" she said, laughing pulling him along.

He sighed but let her. Couldn't help it when she smiled like that. Her brown hair was up in buns as usual and the streetlamp's light were making her eyes dance. She was wearing a Chinese-style light-blue t-shirt and jeans.

_Wish upon a star_

_But, do you know what stars are?_

She pulled him down the road still laughing. It was typical her, showing up at his doorstep in the middle of the night and pulling him along. But they were friends and he was happy that she wanted him in her life.

They were in high school and had stuck together since elementary, it was amazing, people said, but they were best friend and their bond was something very precious to both of them.

_Balls of fire burning up the black space_

_Falling from the landscape_

_Exploding in the face of God_

Soon he saw were she was taking him. The harbor was filled with ships, with lights in their masts and he knew exactly why she had brought him along. She stopped and turned to look at him. "Isn't it beautiful, Neji?" she exclaimed.

With the harbor as the background, she looked almost like a goddess, with the golden light from the ships surrounding her. He smirked, "very."

She pulled him along, and they sat down at the edge, looking out over the water. She pointed out a shooting star and they talked, but soon her expression turned sad.

_Let's get crazy_

_Talk about our big plans_

"What are you going to do after High School?" she asked, silently. She rested her chin on her hands, and did not look at him.

He watched her; he knew they wouldn't go to the same collage. He was going abroad and she was going to stay in Japan. "Collage," he answered.

She sighed. "Me too," she bit her lip.

_Places that you're going_

_Places that I haven't been_

They were seniors and the year was almost over. Their time together was almost up, and he knew this, just like she knew. "I'll miss you," she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Neji smiled and took her hand. "It won't be goodbye," he promised. "We just won't see each other for a while." He squeezed her hand. "And remember, I have to come back when I'm done, remember my deal with uncle?" She nodded. "He would pay for my schooling if I would take over his company after him. We'll see each other again."

_Build my walls up_

_Concrete castle_

_Leave this kingdom free of hassle_

They smiled and talked and forgot their worries… for now. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and he told himself that he would never forget her, he loved her after all. Even if she was silly, and childish at times. She could be serious when she wanted to, and she always went out of her way to make him smile. That was how Tenten was; she cared… more than anyone else.

_I hear sound echo in the emptiness_

_All around but you can't change this loneliness_

_Look what you've found, I've fallen down_

Graduation was a teary event. She never said goodbye to anyone else – they would all stay after all – but clung to him all the while. He held her as she cried, and he could still hear it. It still made him cold, and he felt empty thinking about it now.

The day at the airport had been hell and he felt like not going when he saw her big brown eyes fill with hurt and sorrow. She had hugged him, and cried and cried. Neji gave her the envelope with the letter he had written to her. _I never cry_, it had started with.

_Taste the saline rolling down your cheekbone_

_Tell me that you're alone, tell me on the telephone_

Years went by but he never felt whole after that. He knew she felt the same. They never talked over the phone, never exchanged letters, nothing. He had wished this, didn't want to know her reaction on the letter before he came home.

_Feel your heart it breaks within your chest now__  
__Try to get some rest now, sleeps not coming easy for a while, child_

But he talked to their friends, and they filled him in. Though the girls saw more than the guys.

"_She's doing surprisingly well without you…" _Lee…

"_Tenten is heartbroken, brother." _Hinata…

"_You're so troublesome, Hyuuga, don't you think you should visit her?" _Shikamaru…

"_Give her a call, I won't tell." _Sakura…

But he didn't and he knew she cried. He could feel her pain as he was sure she felt his.

_I hear sound echo in the emptiness__  
__All around but you can't change this loneliness__  
__Look what you've found, I've fallen down_

He graduated and was on the next flight home, wanting so much to get home. He didn't tell her, wanting to surprise her, see the happy smile on her face when she opened the front door and saw him standing there. He couldn't help but grin as he sat in a taxi.

"Where to?"

"Kunai Street."

"That's campus isn't it?"

Neji nodded, but said nothing more. He paid when he had to and walked almost lightheaded (Hyuugas didn't get lightheaded) to her door. He prayed that she was home, and when he knocked, there was a pause and then a "coming". In no time the door swung open and a young woman with short bangs and long curly brown hair stood in front of him. He saw the surprise in her hazel eyes and then the smile that slowly spread.

"Neji?" she whispered.

He smiled his small smile. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. She was wearing a skirt and an apron was covering her T-shirt. She was cooking something, that was for sure. Her skin was creamy-white as he remembered, but she seemed smaller, more frail.

"It's good to see you too, Ten," he said, and pulled her into a hug. She was so short that he had to pull her off the ground to hug her properly.

She cried again, but this time happily. He remembered the sobs and they echoed in his mind once again. He knew then that she had needed him more than he had thought and that she always would. He cradled her in his arms for a while until he smelt something burning. Her food.

He moved inside and quickly found the kitchen. He placed her in a chair, and let her cry while taking care of the food she was cooking. "I'm sorry – sob – usually I'm not – sob – this careless with my food," she said while trying to dry the never-ending tears.

"Why are you cooking in the middle of the day?" he asked her as he tried to save the curry, the rice was overcooked and they would have to boil something new.

"My parents – sniff – are coming over in a – sob – couple of hours," she said, and blew her nose. "But now I just wonna cancel."

"Why?"

She smiled gently at him. "Because someone I care very much about has finally come home to me," she answered.

He smiled as he threw out the rice. "You need time with your family," he declared as old habit had it. "I can come again tomorrow; I have people to see as well."

"But… " she trailed off. "Now that you're home I can finally wear the ring…"

He had waited for this to come up. He had hoped it would be the positive way, and when it came he spun around, surprised at her words. "You mean… You actually… Ten, that's…" he trailed off several times and then broke out in a very uncharacteristic grin.

He turned back to the food, and she giggled. "Neji, still being the emotionless bastard I remember," she said. He didn't hear her rise, but soon he felt her hug him from behind. She rested her cheek on his back and sighed. "Please don't ever leave me again."

"I won't," he promised. "And wherever I go, I'll bring you with me."

She needed him, and he her. She would melt the ice that was his being, and he would keep her smiling if it was the last thing he did.

If they fell, it would be together.

* * *

Been a while since I wrote this, and it's not very long compared to what I usually write now-a-days, but it's okay and I like it.

To tell you the truth I wrote this over a year ago but was too afraid to publish it. Now I'm glad I didn't.

I was in love with that song – it's still awesome. It's called _Down_ and is by Something Corporate. Take a look on YouTube!

Thanks for reading

- Louise


End file.
